Borrowed Time
by mageofsun
Summary: Max returned to that day to sacrifice Chloe and save the people of Arcadia Bay. But what if she failed, and Chloe survived? This is also for the secret santa exchange!


Chloe walked down the path and curved around the corner. A trembling hand was the last thing Max saw of her, but she put it out of her mind- she had to act now if either of them were to survive the storm.

She gazed down at the photo. Rain droplets landed on its waxed surface, and Max wiped them from the surface, then rubbed her eyes clean of rain and tears. Focusing once more, she could hear the ghosts of a thousand universes whispering.

She closed her eyes, then... silence.

There was no storm, no trees snapping in half. There were no buildings collapsing under the thousand pounds of wind pounding on their walls. Just silence, and Max's own heavy breath.

The silence didn't last for long, however. The door hit the wall with a loud snap, and who Max knew was Nathan Prescott marched into the bathroom.

He shuffled and sputtered out chaotic strings of words to himself about how in control he was. Max put a hand over her mouth so she wouldn't make even a noise, studying the cracks in the walls. She can't afford feel right now. If she fucks this up, it's all over. Everyone will die.

Sliding down the wall and pulling her knees to her chest, Max's breathing slowed. All she could think was, Chloe Price must die.

Max pulled her legs closer to her chest, her shoes dragging against the waxed tiles.

Her shoe squeaked. Nathan stopped pacing. Oh, god, no-

"What the fuck are you doing in here? Come here to spy on me, is that it?" Nathan yelled in the bathroom. Max could hear him aimlessly checking the stalls, until there was another voice; it was Chloe's.

"The hell are you doing? Jesus, have you lost it?"

Nathan scoffed. "There's someone in here, dumbass."

Max saw the tip of Nathan's shoe around the corner when Chloe called out, "Stop pussy-footing this, Prescott. We both know you're just stalling, so man up and cough up the cash."

"Shut the fuck up, bitch! I got nothin' for you."

Chloe pressed further, and Nathan was backing up. Shit. "Wrong. You've got hella cash."

"Look, that's my family, not me."

"Oh, boo hoo, poor little rich kid." She kept moving forward, until Nathan's back was up against the bathroom bulletin board. Max was completely still, hoping against hope he wouldn't see her. "Look, I know you've been pumping drugs 'n shit to kids around here."

But it was too late. Nathan did a double take at Max, finally locking eyes with her and interrupting Chloe's interrogation. "W-what are you doing here, Shitfield?" Then Chloe, too, looked over her shoulder.

Max extended her hand, but nothing happened. There was nothing left, no powers.

Max was all alone in a doomed world and a Chloe who hated her guts.

It was over. She failed.

"I was just-" Max weakly began to explain, but was cut off by Chloe.

"Max?" Chloe stepped away from Nathan. "What, how? The fuck is going on? What are you doing here?" Max could tell she would've smiled had Nathan not been there.

You were supposed to die. You should be lying dead on the ground right now.

Nathan shook a threatening finger at Max, who stood and brushed herself off. "You say even a word about this, Caulfield, I'll-"

"Hey, watch it, fucker." Chloe pointed at the door they came in through. "This isn't over, now get out before I change my mind and have myself a chat with your parents. Run along and be a good little boy, bye bye."

But rage surged through Nathan's eyes, and Max knew he had snapped, just like the first time. "Before you change your mind? The fuck do you think you have the right to talk to like that, like you know me?" He reached for that shiny pistol Max knew he had stowed in his belt this day.

Max held her tongue. There was still hope she'd be able to accomplish what she came back for, and they were back on the right track.

Is this what evil tastes like?

Chloe backed up into a sink, fumbling for the right words to diffuse his anger.

But they only seemed to fuel him. The plan seemed to be falling right back into place, but he then turned on Max. "And you, you just came to make a fool of me?" He waved his gun tightly at Max's face. "Huh? To gang up on me, just like everyone else."

"Hey, don't point that shit at her!" Chloe rushed at Nathan while he was distracted, grabbing hold of the gun. They both fell over, yelling and wrestling for the firearm until it went off with a deafening bang.

Then it was all still again. Max gripped her own shirt in her sweaty palms. Panting, one of the fallen two rose, clenching the gun hard.

It was Chloe.

"No," Max mouthed, falling to the ground.

Chloe, this Chloe who barely knew Max anymore, whispered as she stared down at the bloody body of Nathan Prescott, "It... wasn't supposed to go this way."

The gun fell to the floor with a clatter, and Chloe turned and began to heave into one of the sinks.

Max couldn't move. She could barely hear Chloe retching, her ears were filled with the high-pitched aftershock of the gun blast, her own heart pumping, and a million thoughts and question.

Max failed. Chloe was alive. What now?

Do I have to shoot you myself? She shook her head, not able to entertain the though for another moment, else she might have to join Chloe in emptying her stomach's contents.

Still, she eyed the gun until Chloe wiped her mouth and said, "I need to go." Her voice was empty.

"Wait." Max picked up the gun and stood. "I'm coming with you."


End file.
